The "Shoppes at Westlake Village" Scheduled to Open in Summer of 2014

Updates: Additional eateries and tenants include Hook Burger, Jeannine's Bakery and Restaurant, Olio e Limone and others as well as Greens Up! and Los Agaves Restaurant.

Originally posted 1/15/14:

On May 9, 2012, the Westlake Village City Council approved development of a 240,000 square foot retail shopping center called "Shoppes at Westlake Village," that will be anchored by a Target store. It will be located on Russell Ranch Road off of Lindero Canyon Road.

According to its website at www.shoppesatwestlakevillage.com, "With architecture reminiscent of a European village, trellis covered pedestrian walkways, a dramatic water feature and patio dining and lounge areas, Shoppes at Westlake Village will be a place to meet and gather with family and friends as well as a place to shop."

Shoppes is scheduled to open this Summer 2014. Target's target (you like that?) grand opening date is July 25, 2014. In addition to the Target store on the southeast end of the development, the west side will have a uniquely designed In-N-Out Burger restaurant built with stonework, natural tile and other "Older European" treatments to blend in with the rest of the development.

The other known tenant at this point is Total Woman Gym and Spa, in a 13,000 sq ft space perhaps strategically placed on the In-N-Out Burger side of the development. Hey, what's better than a protein-laden Double Double, Animal Style, after a solid workout!

Shoppes is being developed by Selleck Development Group of Westlake Village, which is run by Tom Selleck's brothers, for those who I know were wondering by the sheer mention of that name.

Stay tuned for updates...

Vom Fass Announces it Will Be Opening a New Location in Ventura This June

Vom Fass, which closed its doors in Westlake Village on February 21st, announced it will be opening a new location in Downtown Ventura this June in the following Facebook post this past Wednesday:

We are thrilled to announce that VOM FASS Westlake Village will soon be relocating to the heart of Ventura's vibrant downtown at 451 E. Main St. We will only be a short and beautiful drive from our wonderful WLV clients and also have exposure to a great new customer population of both locals and tourists.  We have a lot to do to get our new space ready and set up our store, but we hope to be open in June 2014. Stay tuned for updates on our progress and a more definitive date for our opening. We thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you in just a few weeks at our new location!

Vom Fass is a speciality grocery store that carries gourmet culinary condiments, fruit vinegars, exquisite oils, exotic liqueurs & fine rare spirits, all sold... and sampled... straight from the cask.

451 E. Main Street is on the north side of the main drag in Downtown Ventura, just west of California Street, directly across the street from Anacapa Brewing Company and the Busy Bee Cafe.

Follow the Vom Fass Westlake Village Facebook page at www.facebook.com/VomFassWestlakeVillage for additional updates about the Ventura store.

Erewhon Natural Foods Market Coming Soon to The Summit at Calabasas

Update 3/28/14: Thanks to Hector D, we've learned the latest estimated opening date is Monday, April 21st. But be sure to call Erewhon first at 818.857.3366 to confirm as the date of course is subject to change.

Photo courtesy of Hector D of Newbury Park. Thanks Hector!

Update 3/9/14: Erewhon announced yesterday that its grand opening date in Calabasas is Saturday, April 5th.

Posted 1/18/14: Erewhon Natural Foods Market is coming to The Summit at Calabasas early next year in the 16,250 sq ft space previously occupied by Maddy's Market. Pronounced AIR-wahn, Erewhon's original location is in Los Angeles, near The Grove.

In addition to groceries, produce, household goods and wellness items, the market will include a tonic and juice bar and cafe.

Erewhon sells foods and products free from artificial preservatives, synthetic pesticides, ripening agents, growth hormones, irradiation, fumigants, fungicides or other additives.

Learn more about Erewhon at www.erewhonmarket.com. Learn more about The Summit at Calabasas at summitcalabasas.com.

Walmart Neighborhood Market Coming Soon to Thousand Oaks Marketplace

Update 3/24/14: As pointed out by CVG follower DM, the Newbury Park Walmart Neighborhood Market will celebrate its grand opening next Wednesday, April 2nd.

Posted 2/20/14:

A new Walmart Neighborhood Market is under construction at the Thousand Oaks Marketplace on Ventu Park Road at the corner of Hillcrest Drive in Newbury Park. The market will be joining the Hampton Inn, Walgreens and Chase Bank, as well as other coming tenants, Subway (this will be the 5th Subway in zip code 91320) and Great Clips.

What is a Walmart Neighborhood Market? Here's the answer from Walmart's website: Walmart Neighborhood Markets were designed in 1998 as a smaller-footprint option for communities in need of a pharmacy, affordable groceries and merchandise. Each one is approximately 38,000 square feet and employs up to 95 associates. Walmart Neighborhood Markets offer fresh produce, meat and dairy products, bakery and deli items, household supplies, health and beauty aids and a pharmacy.

In comparison, a Walmart Supercenter is an average of 182,000 square feet in size.

There are other local Walmart Neighborhood markets currently in Camarillo and Oxnard and Walmart Supercenters in Oxnard, Simi Valley and Ventura.

Swirl Frozen Yogurt Bar Coming to The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch in Early 2013

Updated 2/4/14: The Local Table opened at The Village today and as a result, Swirl decided to re-open today, hours noon to 9 pm every day.

Posted 12/3/13: Swirl opened in early 2013 but closed its doors in early December 2013 due to a lack of foot traffic. They indicate they may consider re-opening after a new restaurant opens at The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch.

Swirl Frozen Yogurt Bar To Open Second Ventura County Store (posted 11/28/12)

Swirl Frozen Yogurt Bar will open its second Ventura County store at The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch in Newbury Park after signing a two year lease.

Swirl Frozen Yogurt Bar is a local, family run business offering self-serve all natural made yogurts, sorbets, ice blended drinks and their popular Swirl Fro-Yo pies, according to co-owner Jennifer McBain.

We fashioned ourselves after the old fashion ice cream parlor with the customer service and flavors you'd expect to find at a local shop, said McBain.    Swirl custom blends our own flavors such as German Chocolate Cake, Dutch Apple Cheesecake, Fruit Punch sorbet, Banana Cupcake, Rocky Road Mudpie and White Peppermint. These are flavors that you will not find anywhere else." We are also proud to offer more than 50 gourmet toppings that you can only find at Swirl such as mini cinnamon rolls, all natural brownie bites and homemade rice cereal treats.

Swirl's 1,000 square-foot store will be located directly across from La Cucina Di Venti near the Village's outdoor amphitheater.  According to McBain, the store is expected to open in mid-January or early February.  Swirl's original shop is located at the Village at the Park in Camarillo.

Since acquiring the 50,000-square-foot office and retail center in June 2011, Beverly Hills-based Paradise Capital Group has increased occupancy to 65 percent from 20 percent. Retail tenants include The Village Trader Market and Deli, Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria La Cucina di Venti, Red Coral Sushi; Boney Mountain Coffee, The Art Box, Paraiso Cleaners, Fitness Together; and Nati, a women's clothing boutique.

Speaking of frozen treats...here are over 80 frozen yogurt, gelato and ice cream places in Ventura County and adjacent areas! Mmmm!

Discovery Ventura Opened Last Month with Bar, Bowling, Pool, Great Food and More

DISCOVERY VENTURA CLOSED IN 2020

Last month, Discovery Ventura opened its doors at 1888 E. Thompson Boulevard, Ventura at the former home of the Ventura Bowling Center that closed its doors in December 2012.The facility has been beautifully renovated as a restaurant and lounge, accompanied by a nine-lane bowling alley, several pool tables and shuffleboards.

The boys and I stopped by Discovery Ventura this past Sunday to try out the bowling. It was just before lunchtime and the bar area was well occupied with folks socializing and enjoying Sunday morning NFL on the too-numerous-to-count flat screen TVs.

It was not crowded when we got there so we were able to quickly get situated. Bowling lanes are first come, first serve and cost $15 per hour (plus shoe rentals). As a novice that bowls perhaps twice a year, I was reminded once again that bowling shoes run large. My kids and I took 2 to 3 iterations apiece to get the best fit, but the hostess was patient with us.

The boys were able to find lighter bowling balls (6 to 8 lbs) and the hostess was able to meet our request for "bumpers" to pop up during the kids' turns as we bowled away. After my first roll I did a double take, as after 8 pins fell down, ALL of the pins were lifted up by strings. Quickly thereafter down plopped the two remaining pins. Traditionalists may not be thrilled with this more efficient "StringPin" technology but for a "boutique" non-league bowling alley like this I don't think it will be an issue with most social bowlers. See video below for a close-up of the StringPin action.

The lanes were full sized, though a bit cramped lengthwise and the little black dots used to position your starting point are pretty close to where the tables were. But we managed and had a great time. The boys were hungry and one had the Four Cheese Pizza ($10.95) and the other tried the BBQ Bacon Burger ($11.95), which came with fries. They both remarked how delicious the food was...so much so that my burger eater wouldn't even give me a sample taste. It certainly smelled good. My Caprese Salad ($9.95) was also excellent. And the family a few lanes down dining on Chicken Wings ($10.95) and Nachos ($9.95) remarked that they were both outstanding.

I asked the hostess how they would describe Discovery Ventura...is it a bowling alley, a nightclub, a restaurant, or ? There wasn't a clear answer as it is really all of the above. On its Facebook page it is described as "Simplistic and repurposing best describe the theme throughout the development of the California-lifestyle project. All are welcome to enjoy the laid-back, fun, and easy entertainment with 9 lanes of bowling, a locally-sourced restaurant with delectable California-cuisine, crafted cocktails, and the region’s largest and most fun private event facilities." Having been there, I would agree with that assessment.

Learn more at www.discoveryventura.com or call 805.856.BOWL (2695).

Nordstrom Rack Store Coming to Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks in Fall 2015

Last month, Nordstrom announced plans to open a 40,000 sq ft Nordstrom Rack at the Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks in fall 2015. The two-story store will occupy a portion of the existing Sears location, while Sears will continue occupying an anchor position on the primary floor of the existing store.

This Nordstrom Rack will be about a mile away from the full-line Nordstrom store located at The Oaks shopping mall, which opened there in 2008.

Nordstrom Rack is the off-price retail division of Nordstrom, Inc., offering customers a wide selection of on-trend apparel, accessories and shoes at an everyday savings of 30 to 70 percent off regular prices. The Rack carries merchandise from Nordstrom stores and Nordstrom.com, as well as specially purchased items from many of the top brands sold at Nordstrom. The Rack is designed to provide the ultimate treasure hunt to style-savvy customers.

SweetXO to Open 2nd Local Area Location at The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks

Update: SweetXO at The Oaks opened its doors at midnight last night, Black Friday 2013.

SweetXO® is opening a 2nd local area location and 5th location overall this Fall at The Oaks Shopping Mall. SweetXO opened its first location on April 1, 2012 in Agoura Hills. It will be located at what used to be McDonald's on the 2nd floor of the mall, across from JC Penney. The store will carry yogurt, ice cream, baked goods, candy as well as an assortment of gifts and clothing. Learn more about SweetXO at www.sweetxo.com.

We Rock The Spectrum Kid's Gym in Agoura Hills Slated to Open Soon

Update 11/14/13: We Rock the Spectrum Kid's Gym Agoura Hills will be opening this Saturday, November 16th, at 9am. They will be open 7 days a week, 9 am to 7pm.

Originally posted 11/7/13:

Good news for kids coming soon at 30315 Canwood Street, Agoura Hills in the space previously occupied by Jungleland and CA Kiddo Club! There's a new indoor play place coming to town called We Rock the Spectrum Kid's Gym.

According to the We Rock the Spectrum website, the gym provides children with a fun and motivational environment to help them with strength, movement, sensory processing, communication, behavior modification, social interactions, and self-care skills. All sensory-based swings and toys in the gym can also be purchased for home use.

Activities at We Rock the Spectrum Kid's Gym includes swings, crash mats and pillows, tunnels, balance beams, trampoline, indoor play structure, sensory-based toys, motor play toys and equipment, arts and crafts area and more.

The Agoura Hills location will be opening soon. Follow their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WeRockTheSpectrumAgouraHills and their website at www.werockthespectrumagourahills.com for updates. Take a look - there's a beautiful indoor zip line and swing structure at the facility.